Yukikaze
Yukikaze is an unseen, minor character who once served as Ayanami's Begleiter before Ayanami rose to the position of the Barsburg Armed Forces' Chief of Staff. Yukikaze was killed protecting Ayanami. It is likely that he was one of the earliest members of the Black Hawks, and he may have been a Warsfeil. Etymology Yukikaze is the name of a Japanese destroyer battleship. This name can be ironic in that Yukikaze (the ship) was the only member of its class to survive World War II, whereas Yukikaze (the character) is the only member of the Black Hawks who has not survived. It is also possible that the author named him Yukikaze because he was blown off in a battle, as Yukikaze (the ship) was scrapped in the end. In the Japanese language, 'yuki' means snow and 'kaze' means 'wind'. Appearance Yukikaze has not officially appeared in the ongoing series yet, so his appearance remains unknown. In the pilot chapter Begleiter, when Hyuuga is talking about that Begleiter whom Ayanami confided in, there is a light-haired man seen kneeling beside Ayanami and in the next grid seen fighting back to back with Ayanami in a flashback, that could very well be Yukikaze. However, in manga Kapitel 26, when the snow and wind is blowing, Ayanami remembers a man with black hair and eyes who says to him: "Watashi no ou wa anata dake desu, Ayanami-sama (I have only one king, which is you, Ayanami-sama)". In Japan, many fans believe that this man was Yukikaze (possibly because they think there is a metaphorical hint in chapter 26, as in the Japanese language, 'yukikaze' means 'wind-blown snow', and they suspect that when Ayanami says "Oh, Yuki.." at the time, he means him instead of the snow). In Ayanami's eyes, Yukikaze was beautiful, as Ayanami said "You are also beautiful when you are under cherry blossom petals" in the first drama CD. Clothing When shown in the pilot chapter, Yukikaze wears the standard Black Hawk uniform: a black, or dark blue, ankle-length overcoat with golden trimmings on the chest, sleeve cuffs and neck guard. He wears black trousers and knee-length, black, buckled boots and white gloves similar to the other Black Hawks. His uniform has a small half mantle hanging off his left shoulder emblazoned with the Barsburg military insignia and a golden shoulder board on his right. If the man in Kapitel 26 is Yukikaze, he also wears round glasses. Relationships Superiors Ayanami In the Begleiter chapter, Hyuuga said that Ayanami and Yukikaze were very close, bordering on marriageIn the Begleiter chapter, Hyuuga says: "長年連れ添った信頼おける"., and that Yukikaze cared a great deal for Ayanami, as he "served Aya-tan without a second thought for his own life".In the Begleiter chapter, Hyuuga says: "命を惜しむこともな尽くし". Hyuuga said in the drama "Yukikaze is smiling, saying Aya-tan is a superior who is so stubborn that it's slightly embarrassing".The first drama CD : The love letter that God receives, track 6. Hyuuga says: "ユキカゼも、アヤたんは ごうじょうでちょっとこまった じょうしだって 笑っているよ。"So, it appears that Yukikaze was indulgent of Ayanami. Ayanami has said that "I have asked my heart countless times but the answer never come.. is it really a bliss for you to have met me?" So, it seems that Ayanami somehow wishes that Yukikaze had never met him (as Yukikaze may still be alive if he hadn't met him). In the first drama CD, Ayanami said, "In my heart I've asked countless times, but an answer never comes. For you, is our meeting really happiness?" Ayanami and Yukikaze's relationship seems to have romantic undertones. Not only has Hyuuga said that Ayanami and Yukikaze were "practically married" in Begleiter, Ayanami also said in the drama CD The Love Letter Which God Receives "You alone are my beloved Begleiter" and "I loved when it's just the two of us". While it is unknown whether Yukikaze and Ayanami truly had romantic feelings for each other, at the very least, they clearly were close, as Ayanami said "Since you left me to go to a faraway place, my time has stagnated." in the drama. Peers Hyuuga Although they have never been seen interacting during the series, it is probable that Hyuuga has worked with Yukikaze, considering what he has said in Begleiter ''and the first drama. Some fans speculate that Hyuuga holds a grudge against Yukikaze because his death damaged Ayanami so much emotionally or because Yukikaze was loved by Ayanami. Katsuragi (current) Considering that Katsuragi was one of the original four Black Hawks, it is likely that he knew Yukikaze. In light of manga chapter 89, because Landkarte disapproves of Verloren's coming to know love and hate after he met Eve, he may also dislike Yukikaze, whom Ayanami loved, for the same reason. History The ''Begleiter pilot chapter reveals that Ayanami had a Begleiter before he became the Chief of Staff and they were very close. Later, that Begleiter died defending Ayanami in a battle. Differences in the manga and anime Death There is conflicting information surrounding Yukikaze's death, making it difficult to determine when he died. In Begleiter, Hyuuga says Ayanami's Begleiter died before he (Ayanami) became the Chief of Staff.The Begleiter chapter. In the anime, during the Raggs War, Ayanami was already wearing the spiky epaulet on his shoulder and his uniform had the additional trim which only the the field-marshal and cheif of staff's uniforms haveEpisode 1: Teito Klein's flashback., so it is probable that Ayanami was the Chief of Staff during the Raggs War, meaning Yukikaze's death should have been before the Raggs War. However, there are differences between the anime and the manga. Manga chapter 76 stated that during the Raggs War Ayanami was a major-general, meaning Yukikaze could have died during the Raggs War in the manga. Quotes *''"I have one and only one king, which is you, Ayanami-sama."'' "わたしの王はあなただけです アヤナミさま", said by that unnamed soldier whom Ayanami remembers, if he is really Yukikaze, in kapitel 26. Trivia *In Japan and China, there are speculations that Hyuuga and Yukikaze are related by blood, since if the dark-haired man in manga chapter 26 is really Yukikaze, he resembles Hyuuga a lot in physical appearance. *Some fans think that that man in Ayanami's memory in chapter 26 is just Hyuuga. However, Hyuuga's eyes are light-colored, while that man's eyes are black. More importantly, that man uses the Japanese honorific form (reflected by the conjugation of verbs and choice of nouns) to refer to himself and talk with Ayanami, whereas Hyuuga, treating Ayanami as a friend (equal standing) instead of a boss (unequal standing), always uses the Japanese simple form when he refers to himself and speaks to Ayanami. So, if that man was Hyuuga, he would probably have used "ore" (the casual "I") instead of "watashi" (the formal, polite "I"), "da" instead of "desu" ("to be"), "omae" instead of "anata", "-tan" instead of "-sama". However, the issue has been up to debate, as Yukikaze had light-coloured hair in the pilot Begleiter chapter, while that man in manga chapter 26 has dark hair (but it is also plausible that the author later decided to change the design for Yukikaze when the story of 07-Ghost is serialized) *In Begleiter, Hyuuga once used "奴" to refer to Ayanami's dead Begleiter. It is an impolite way of refering to someone whom one considers to be of "lower standing" (e.g younger in age, being your enemy) comparing with him/her. So, some fans think there is a chance that Yukikaze was younger than Hyuuga. *Fans in Japan tend to think that Yukikaze was not a Warsfeil on the ground that if Yukikaze had been a Warsfeil, he would not have died from wounds. *Some fans in China think that when Yukikaze was still alive, Ayanami had not recovered Verloren's memories yet. *Yukikaze is shown using his left hand to hold his sword. So, some fans think that he may be a left-hander, like Ayanami.The Begleiter chapter. *Some fans suspect that Yukikaze used two swords like Hyuuga instead of one, because two swords were placed on his grave in'' Begleiter''.The Begleiter chapter. *Some fans think that Ayanami and Yukikaze had something in common, or that they are each other's shadow, since they go along with each other very well. References }} Site Navigation Category:Characters Category:Minor characters Category:Male Category:Military members Category:Begleiter Category:Deceased Category:Antagonists Category:Unseen characters